In reply to richprideaux:
I'm amazed no one on here is aware of the story of the old man of Tryfan Bach.
I was told the story by Paul Williams one stormy night in Humphries Barn.
Apparently many many winters ago, an old retired slate miner from Dinorwic was walking back down into Cwm Tryfan with his dog, a disagreeable and easily annoyed Jack Russell. As the snow fell from the leadened sky, and the wind howled down from the ridges, the old man stumbled and slipped.
As he fell, he lost his grip on his old ice axe, and it hit the dog on the head.
Incandescent with rage, the dog picked up the ice axe between his teeth, and proceeded to batter the old man to death.
When the dog had calmed down, and realised what he'd done, he dragged the old mans body behind some boulders, and then frantically buried the ice axe.
The dog was never seen again, and despite months of searching, the old man's body was never found.
Down the years, late in the evening, when the wind howls and the snow falls, many walkers have reported hearing the sound of an old man's voice echoing around the cwm. The voice reportedly only says the same three words repeatedly - "F*cking Bastard Dog".
And legend has it, that whoever finds the old man's ice axe, will be blessed with limitless strength and ice climbing skills, but, will also suffer the fate of being attacked by the ghost of a Jack Russell, on the crux of every route!